


The Dragon's Quest

by WishIHadSalad



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Fun, Not Serious, We're Just Having Fun Here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26089678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishIHadSalad/pseuds/WishIHadSalad
Summary: Dragons. Powerful winged reptiles that breathed fire and carved homes into the sides of mountains. Luz was positive that the Boiling Isles was sure to have one. Upon learning a harsh truth about the Isle's inhabitants, though, Luz is left heartbroken.However, after a day of sulking in Bonesborough sets of an unexpected chain of events, Luz and her friends are given the chance to go on the adventure of a lifetime. A chance to right the wrongs of the past.A Dragon's Quest.
Comments: 21
Kudos: 63





	1. Dragons and Witches

It was a particularly quiet day at the Owl House.

King was forcing two stuffed rabbits into gladiator combat, Eda was gleefully experimenting with what fruits were the most flammable, and Luz found herself lounging about on the couch. A nasty case of Fairy Flu had broken out at Hexside, and the school was closed until further notice. Luz had been rather tempted to go near the building just to see what a disease on the Boiling Isles could cause, but was talked out of it by Willow. Apparently, it wasn't as fun as the name suggested. ("Your entire body shrinks and grows wings at the start of every day, which is extremely painful. Also your voice gets high-pitched and everyone laughs at you.")

So, in order to take her mind off of her missed classes, Luz was occupying her time by doing what she did best: Reading the Good Witch Azura! Luz was currently in the middle of re-reading the third installment, which Amity graciously let her borrow.

 _'Azura quickly used a levitation spell, stopping her and her companion from plummeting to their deaths. "Come, Esteclees!" Azura shouted as another fire-arrow was shot in their direction. "We must take this golden ring to the Great Dragon Drodimon! Only then will peace be restored to the land!"'_ Luz read gleefully. She knew what was going to happen, of course, but she was still on the edge of her seat. Or, laying across two seats, technically. As Luz sped through the paragraph, Azura's words suddenly clicked something within her mind.

When she first arrived in the Boiling Isles, Eda had mentioned how every human myth was due to a bit of the witch world leaking into the next one over. She had been fortunate enough to have seen several of these "myths" with her own eyes. Heck, there was even one sitting a few feet in front of her, currently smashing two stuffed animals together. Yet, in all of her time spent in the Isles, Luz had never seen- or by that matter, even heard about- a dragon.

This was pretty disappointing now that she was thinking about it. After all, it was one of her childhood dreams to meet, befriend, and of course ride a dragon. She had never thought to ask Eda about it, but Azura had just reminded her of her forgotten ambition.

"Hey, Eda?" Luz craned her head back to look at the witch, who was currently covered in the juice and seeds of a tomato.  
  
"What's up, kid?" She asked, making a small yellow circle with her finger and all of the juice vanished instantly.

"I was wondering... I've been wanting to meet one for some time- and I feel like you'd probably have a connection to one somehow. Are there dragons around here?" Her question was met by silence. Luz sat up and fully looked over at Eda, who looked rather dumbfounded. She cleared her throat awkwardly before picking up a notepad from seemingly nowhere.

"Tomatoes will explode if heated unevenly, gotta remember that one the next time I see Lily." Eda said loudly as she wrote something down, clearly avoiding the question. Luz, used to this kind of behavior from Eda, turned to her next option: King.  
  
"King? Do dragons live in the Boiling Isles?" She asked him nicely. King froze with his rabbits clenched between his claws.  
  
"I don't know anything. Whose King?" He muttered, his eyes darting back and forth between Luz and the floor.  
  
"She asked you a question, King. You should answer it. Truthfully." Eda taunted.  
  
"She asked you first!" King shouted at her. "Don't make _me_ tell her! I usually enjoy causing pain, but I don't want to break her heart!"  
  
"Breaking hearts? Why would you break my heart?" Luz asked almost amused. King and Eda both went silent, avoiding look at her. Luz's smile turned to one of worry. "What's going on here? What are you two not telling me?"  
  
"It's a long story, kid, and I really don't think you want to hear it." Eda said, stepping closer to the couch.  
  
"Long stories? I love long stories! Tell me a long story!" Luz said gleefully, putting a bookmark between her pages and giving Eda her full attention. Eda sighed and scratched the back of her neck.  
  
"This one isn't very... pleasant. Just get yourself ready for disappointment, okay?

"Well, you aren't mistaken. At a point, the Isles did have dragons. Note the word 'did.' See, years ago, those things were all over the place. If you stepped foot outside, you were bound to see a dragon. You'd have to chase little dragons away from your trash cans, and the darn things would hiss and spit fire at you. Anyway, the point is that they were a common nuisance, kinda like whatever it is you humans have- squirrels? Nobody really cared for them, but we managed to live in peace just as we did with all of the Isle's creatures. Then came along a witch named Wylson J. Peeron."  
  
"Wylson J. Peeron?" Luz tried to hide a grin and look mature.  
  
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how proud he was of his name" Eda chuckled with a snort. Her smile quickly fell. "Even with a name as stupid as that, the guy was a genius. Particularly in the study of the monsters. Through his work, he made the discovery that by consuming a dragon's heart, you'd be able to extend your lifespan by about ten years, give or take."  
  
"Consuming a dragon's heart?" Luz repeated with a disgusted look. "Like, like _eating_ it?"  
  
"Yep," Eda folded her arms. "After news got out about that, well, everyone went completely nuts. Dragon heart started selling at stores for thirty gold a pop. 'Dragon Hunting' became the new activity that you did with your friends on the weekend. People were so desperate for that increased lifespan that they were willing to do anything to get it.

"And anything they did. Eventually, dragons starting vanishing from the streets. Then from the forests. Then from the mountains. Dragon heart became rarer and rarer until it disappeared from the markets completely. The frenzy faded, and people slowly went back to their normal lives. The only difference was now there were no more dragons. Believe me, people tried looking. But there were none left to find. Everyone was so focused on their own lives that they didn't stop to think about the ones they were taking." Eda finished her story and looked at Luz, waiting for her reaction. Luz furrowed her eyebrows almost in confusion.  
  
"You mean everyone hunted them to extinction? But that can't be right. Surely everyone would've realized the damage they were doing and stopped!" Luz said. Eda sat down next to her, and King crawled up on the other side.  
  
"I'm sorry, Luz, but the truth is, the Isle isn't as nice as it may seem." said Eda.  
  
"And it doesn't seem very nice in the first place!" King chimed in.  
  
"I know this is hard to hear, but some people are just as selfish and cruel here as they are in the human world. Hopping through a portal ain't gonna change that, unfortunately." Eda said. There was silence for a moment before Eda spoke again, "I know this wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. Are you gonna be alright?"  
  
"Yeah. I am." Luz said, standing up and putting her book on the table. She took a deep breath before facing Eda and King again. "I'll be okay. I promise. I think I'm gonna go out for a little while, though. Completely unrelated, I swear!" Luz said, forcing a comedically-large smile as she approached the door. "I'll be back sometime soon. Maybe. Probably! Okay, bye!" Luz quickly opened the door and shut it.Upon the door slamming closed, Eda and King were forced to endure a loud wailing-scream that was obviously coming from Luz. King and Eda shared a look.

"Luz? Are you okay?" Eda shouted towards the door.  
  
"Yep! Totally okay! I'm great!" Luz's wet sniffles answered back.  
  
"Really? You're not crying in any way?" Eda asked again.  
  
"Crying? Psh, no! I'm not crying! It's Hooty! Hooty's the one crying!"  
  
"I am not! Hoot!" Hooty's offended voice called from the outside. The distraught wails slowly faded, showing that Luz had clearly walked away.

"How pathetic. We demons never shed tears like that!" King mocked. Eda raised an eyebrow and picked up one of the stuffed rabbits that lay forgotten on the floor. She made another magic circle with her finger, alighting a tiny flame just under the toy.  
"No! Javier!" King shouted. He snatched the rabbit back from Eda just before it could burn and held it close to his chest, the disheveled fabric growing wet as he began to cry all over it. "I'd never let her hurt you! Never!" He squeaked.  
  
"You're right, King, demons don't shed tears like Luz. You shed way, way more." Eda cackled, returning back to her piles of scorched and demolished fruits.


	2. A Day in Bonesborough

"Cheer up, Luz."  
Willow urged her friend as she sat besides her on a bench. After disparagingly leaving the Owl House, Luz called Willow and Gus to meet her by the park so she could have support through her crisis. The two were quick to show up- not like they had much better to do.

"Yeah, it'll be okay," Gus comforted from the other side of the bench. "I mean, dragons have been dead for years! There's no point in crying over it now."  
  
"Not helping." Willow said, shooting him a narrowed look. Luz groaned and slid off the bench and onto the ground.  
  
"It's not just the fact that they're all gone," she muttered, pulling her knees to her chest. "It's the fact that they're all gone because people valued their own lives over the lives of others."  
  
"Actually, the Dragon Hunting movement helped improve a lot rules and regulations about the hunting of monster species," said Gus. "So if you think about it, the extinction of dragons was a good thing!"  
  
"Still not helping." Willow huffed. She turned to Luz. "If you want to see a dragon, why don't we go to the library? There's plenty of books about them. Some even have pictures!" She alluded, playfully nudging Luz with her elbow.  
  
"Thanks Willow, but I think I'll pass..." Luz sighed.  
  
"Do you want to see a unicorn? We could probably find a unicorn somewhere." said Gus.  
  
"That sounds absolutely amazing, and I need you to promise me we'll do that some other time, but I just don't think I want to right now." Luz replied.

Willow and Gus looked at each other sadly. Luz was always so chipper and charismatic, so seeing her in this state was like Emperor Belos coming to Hexside and doing a fun little dance for the student body; it just wasn't right.

"Okay, why don't we go do something to take your mind off of this? Let's browse through the marketplace. Come on." Willow said, standing up.  
  
"No..." Luz moaned as Willow and Gus pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Yes, this is for your own good. You can't just sit here like some sad worm." Willow huffed, practically dragging Luz away from the bench.  
  
"But I want to be a sad worm! Sad worms don't have to live in a world without dragons!" Luz cried. Gus made a magic circle, creating three exact clones of himself. Together Gus, Willow, Gus, Gus again, and also Gus managed to carry Luz far enough away and prop her onto her feet (against her will.) "Alright, I'll go. But only because I want to look for some witch gear that'll make me look cooler, not because I want to feel better." Luz said definitively.

However, after only five minutes had passed by, the plan was clearly working. Luz was no longer slouched over or frowning, and was- quite eagerly- looking between the wares that were being sold. Willow and Gus silently high-fived behind her; it was pretty lucky for them that Luz was so easily distracted. As Luz stopped to stare in awe at a selection of shiny crystal balls, another distraction unknowingly turned the corner and nearly bumped straight into her.

"Luz?" Amity Blight stopped completely in her tracks, clearly not expecting to run into her human associate here. Luz turned her attention away from the shimmering glass and her eyes lit up.  
  
"Amity! What are you doing here?" She asked, leaning against one of the booths in an effort to look cool before slipping and face-planting into the dirt.  
  
"Probably the same thing you're doing," Amity replied as her cheeks twinged a rose color. "Not much else to do when school gets cancelled."  
  
"You right, you right." Luz nodded her head, trying to make herself comfortable on the ground to pretend like she had meant to fall. Before either of them could say another word, Willow and Gus ran up, a large black top-hat now adorned on Gus' head.  
  
"Luz! Look what I found on clearance! Oh, hi Amity." Gus said. Amity blinked once before giving him a short wave. "And look, it's not just fashionable. It also does this." Gus pulled a small string that was hanging from the hat's brim. Suddenly, the top of the hat flapped open like a trap door, and dozens of tiny multi-colored fireworks streamed from the opening.  
  
"That is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. Can you show me where you got that so I can buy one immediately?" Luz gawked as Willow helped her to her feet.  
  
"Oh. Sorry, Luz, but this was the last one in stock." Gus said sadly. He slowly took off the hat and handed it to her. "Here, you can have it if you want."  
  
"Absolutely not. You were blessed with this amazing hat. I am not about to separate you two." Luz said boldly. Gus put the hat back on, very clearly happy to be keeping it.  
  
"Sorry if I'm... interrupting whatever that just was?" Amity said strangely. "But Luz, were you crying? Your eyes are all red."  
  
"Yeah, she was crying a whole lot because she found out about the mass extinction of all the Isle's dragons." Gus answered nonchalantly as he fiddled with his hat. If looks could kill, Willow would've been responsible for a murder.  
  
"You didn't know that?" asked Amity. Luz shook her head. "I'm sorry you're so upset about it... Why exactly are you so upset about it?" Before Luz could respond, something small, round, and hard impacted against her head. Luz nearly fell over, clutching the spot where the item had hit.  
  
"Ow! What the-?" Luz looked down and saw a grey rock about the size of a softball. "Hey, what gives? Who did that? Show yourself, you rock throwing coward!" Luz yelled into a crowd of passing witches who all looked at her oddly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Amity and Willow asked at the same time.  
  
"I think so. That just hurt. A lot." Luz rubbed the back of her head. She picked up the rock and looked at it, as if she was expecting it to turn into something else. Surprisingly, it did just so. In her hand, the rock morphed and shifted shape, until it was in the exact shape of a small arrow pointing forwards. All four students simultaneously picked their heads up to look in the direction the rock was pointing.

A fair distance away, a shadowed figure stood ominously in-between two booths. Whoever it was wore a long black cloak, hiding their face and body. The figure lifted a covered arm and held out a hand, which was pure white in color. The figure began moving a long, spindled finger, motioning for them to come over. Looking between her friends, who were silently pleading with her to make a good choice just once in her life, Luz slipped the stone into her pocket and began to walk towards the figure. All three resisting the urge to groan, Willow, Amity, and Gus followed behind.

"Hey, I gotta bone to pick with you!" Luz shouted the moment she stepped close enough to the figure. "What are you doing, throwing rocks at random people? Podrías haberme matado, estúpido!"  
  
"My apologiesss, I sssimply needed your attention. And people... don't exactly like it when I show my faccce." The stranger spoke in a low-toned drawl. Luz decided to ignore the creepy drawn-out "sss" sounds.  
  
"Well you have my attention now." said Luz. The stranger looked at the four students waveringly before leaning in and speaking in a whisper,  
  
"Pardon my evesssdropping, but I overheard your dessspair, human. About the dragonsss?" Said the stranger. "No one hasss cared about them for centuriesss. No one hasss regretted what they've done. I alwaysss know when sssomeone isss lying. And you ssspeak no liesss. You are jussst what I'm looking for."

"It isss known by few, but there remainsss but one dragon in thisss land. A sssingle ancient beassst with great power and wisssdom. Human, I am entrusssting you to find him."


	3. The Purest of Heart

Luz's entire face grew with delight before Amity stepped forwards, putting herself in-between Luz and the stranger.

"A single remaining dragon?" She asked, clearly not believing their words. "That sounds a bit _too_ convenient. How do we know you're not lying, since you're so good at figuring that out?"

"And even if you are telling the truth," Willow pipped in. "Why are you leaving the responsibility to a human student of all people? No offense, Luz."

"None taken." Luz smiled at her friend. The stranger chuckled slightly and held up their hands in surrender.

"Alright, I sssupossse I came on too ssstrong. Let me introduccce myssself. I am Dr. Rayden Vayden, but I usually go by Ray," the stranger said. "I am a dignified resssearcher who ssspecializes in the ssstudy of extinct or endangered creaturesss. I am an expert on dragon behavior."

"If you're so dignified, then why are you covering your face, huh?!" Luz asked, hiding behind Amity. Dr. Ray chuckled again.

"Thisss isss why." He said, before pulling down his hood just enough so the four students could get a look at his face. The large snout of a snake was staring back at them. A large head that was completely covered in smooth, shimmering scales. His entire body was pure white, and his sunken-in eyes were a sickening reddish color. He opened his mouth to smile at all of their shocked faces, revealing several sharpened fangs. "Underssstand now?"

"Yes, sir." Gus was quick to respond, busying himself with looking at anywhere that wasn't Dr. Ray. Amity, however, remained unwavered. 

"Still doesn't give us a reason of why we should believe you. Researchers can lie." she said in her "I-Know-More-Than-You" voice. Dr. Ray grinned a serpentine smile and put his hood back on.

"Not taking thingsss at faccce value, eh? You're sssmart, young lady. You mussst be quite the talented witchling. Probably want to join the Emperor'sss coven, yes?" He asked.

"How did you-?"

"Well, in most cccircumssstancccesss, there would be no way to prove I'm lying or not. Good thing thisss isssn't mossst cccircumssstancccess!" He said, before making a medium circle with his finger. The circle glowed a beautiful silver color as it hovered in the air. "Thisss isss a truth ssspell. If I lie, the cccircle turnsss red. If I'm being truthful, it turnsss green." He put his entire hand into the circle and cleared his throat. "My name isss Rayden Vayden." The circle glowed green. "I am a thirty-foot titan." The circle turned a bright scarlet. Luz looked at the circle with fascination, while the three witchlings looked rather uneasy. "I have jussst dissscovered that the lassst dragon on the Boiling Islesss remainsss in the mountainsss." The circle beamed a bright green.

"So you are telling the truth!" Luz nearly squealed, failing to hide her excitement. Dr. Ray waved his hand and the circle disappeared.

"Of courssse I am. What would I have to gain from lying to you?" He chortled as if he had made a funny joke. 

"Okay, maybe you aren't lying," admitted Willow. "But I still don't get why you need Luz to find the dragon? Surely it would be better left alone?"

"And why can't you get your "researching team" to do it, huh?" Gus said accusingly, still not looking directly at the snake-man. 

"Unfortunately, we cannot leave it alone," Dr. Ray said, suddenly sounding very serious. "If word getsss out about it, then witchesss all over the Isle will be going after the poor thing. We want to be able to protect it. But, asss I'm sssure you know, dragonsss were one of the original magic usssersss, and-"

"I didn't know that!" Luz interrupted. She turned to Willow. "Did you know that?'

"Yes," Willow responded, hiding a laugh. "Dragons were the oldest species on the Boiling Isles. They learned how to use magic from the Titan long before witches did. Over time, though, as witches became the dominant species, less and less dragons were using magic until only very few of them knew it."

"Whoa, dragon magic..." Luz said in awe. Dr. Ray coughed again.

"Yesss, well, the dragon that we have found happensss to be one of thessse few. He isss known asss Asssterphilion the Great. We have ssspeculated that he wasss one of the mossst powerful dragonsss yearsss ago. Becoming the lassst of hisss ssspecies hasss only improved hisss power," said Dr. Ray. "When we tried to enter hisss cave and explain ourssselvesss, we found we could not enter. Asssterphilion had put up a magical barrier to keep usss out. 

"After ssstudying the barrier, we dissscovered that the ssspell only permitted the puressst of heart to passss through. A truly good perssson who doesss whatever they can to help thossse in need." Amity, Gus, and Willow all looked towards Luz. 

"And you think that's me?" Luz asked, sounding surprised, although she was blushing slightly. 

"Like I sssaid before, I heard you talking. About how sssaddened you were about the extinction of the dragonsss. I can sssensse your good heart, human," Dr. Ray said. "I have no doubt that you will be able to passs through the barrier, and ensure that Asssterphilion isss protected for the ressst of hisss life. Although my team hasss good intentionsss, we have all made missstakesss in the passst that are keeping usss from passssing through. Thisss isss why we need you to go to him, and convince him to let usss help him."

"Wow. I'd be honored to help protect the last dragon!" Luz said a bit too loudly. She was quickly shushed by the others.

"Wonderful! And have no doubt, you will be heavily rewarded for your asssissstance in thisss effort," Dr. Ray said. "Give or take... about one hundred gold piecesss?" This price didn't have too much meaning to Luz, but judging by the reactions from all around her, this was clearly a huge sum of money.

"One hundred gold to walk through a barrier?" Gus repeated, his mouth hanging open in shock. Dr. Ray nodded.

"Of courssse, of courssse. Walking through the barrier, talking to the dragon, climbing Mt. Perish, convincing him to-"

"Hold on a second, Doctor," Amity interrupted. "Did you just say climbing Mt. Perish? As in this dragon lives on top of Mt. Perish?" Dr. Ray froze for a moment, fiddling with his fingers.

"Did I not mention that part?" This was met by several groans of annoyance.

"Uh, what's Mt. Perish? Considering the name, I'm going to guess it's not a very nice hike." Luz asked.

"No, it's not a very nice hike at all," Amity muttered. "It's the highest point on the entire Isle. Plenty of witches have tried climbing it, and plenty of witches have perished while doing so. Hence the name."

"Oh, so it's kind of like Mt. Everest." Luz said without thinking.

"Mt. what?" Amity asked with confusion.

"Never mind."

"It's cold, steep, and a ton of dangerous monsters live there," Willow added in. "It's insanely dangerous, and to go there without crazy strong magic is a death wish." Luz thought for a moment. This felt like such an important journey to go on; one worthy of the Good Witch Azura herself! But she only had her glyphs, and she wasn't too sure a ball of light or a bunch of plants would help her climb a mountain. Luz took a deep breath inwards and released it with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Ray, but I don't think I can do this on my own." She said disparagingly. Her entire face fell and her shoulders slumped. 

"Oh dear. That'sss-"

"She can't do it on her own, so we're going with her!" Amity said quite suddenly, her entire face quickly turning red. Willow and Gus looked at her alarmed.

"We _are_?" Gus whimpered. 

"Ye-yes! We are," Amity said, swallowing as she spoke. "Because... this is clearly very important to Luz, so that means it's important to me. I-I mean it's important to _us_." She sputtered. 

"Really? Amity thank you!" Luz gushed, embracing the witchling in a bear hug. If it was even possible, Amity's face turned even more red.

"Sssplendid! I'm ssso happy to hear that!" Dr. Ray said, sounding very excited. 

"I'm happy to be apart of a dragon conservation project, but how are we going to get to the top of that mountain?" Willow asked Luz, clearly worried. "Witches much stronger than any of us have died trying to reach the peak of that mountain. How are _we_ going to do it?" Luz tapped her finger to her chin in thought, releasing her hold on Amity. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her brain.

"I got it. Don't worry, Willow, because we'll have a powerful ally on our side!" Luz exclaimed. "I know a certain witch with a certain flying staff that'll make getting to the top of the mountain a total breeze!"


	4. Preparing for the Worst

Luz was practically skipping as she led everyone else through the woods and onto the familiar path towards the Owl House. Contradicting Luz's pure child-like joy, however, Amity, Gus, and Willow were extremely on edge. Luz turned her head around- clearly about to say something- but her smile faltered upon seeing the grim expression on everyone's faces.

"Hey, what's wrong, guys?" She asked, now walking backwards in order to face them. "You all look like someone just died."

"We're probably going to end up dying, so it's appropriate." Gus said weakly. 

"Hey, we are _not_ going to die," Luz said sternly. "We are going to live and help protect an endangered magical animal!"

"As much as I enjoy the optimism, Luz, I really don't think this is such a good idea," said Willow. "This is a situation none of us have ever faced before. This is way above our skill level! And even if by some miracle we do manage to reach the top of Mt. Perish, how do we know we won't be burned or eaten by a dragon?"

"Exactly! Being eaten by a dragon is not how I want to go out!" Gus exclaimed. Amity folded her arms and looked at the ground.

"This... does seem like too big a job, even for all four of us." She said. "We have to know where our limits are." Luz had to admit, hearing everyone's woes was putting doubt into her mind. But she shook her head and repressed that doubt deep down inside her brain.

"I know this seems impossible, but we all have it within us to succeed!" Luz said. "You're all such talented witches and if we all just work together, we can conquer any challenge that comes our way! We've tackled on the impossible before, haven't we? Willow, you thought switching to the Plant Track was impossible, but you did it!" Willow nodded sheepishly. "Gus, you thought it was impossible to reclaim your President status for the Human Appreciation Society, but you got it back in the end!" 

"I did!" Gus said as if he had just remembered that that had happened.

"And Amity, you thought it was impossible to face your fear and beat Grom. But when you and I banded together, we showed that monster whose boss!" Luz said. Amity's cheeks became flushed again, and she managed a very weak smile.

"I guess we did do that, didn't we?" She said softly. 

"Right! When we worked together, we all managed to do something we thought was impossible!" Luz was practically shouting now. "So what's stopping us from doing it again?" It would have been a very motivational and awe-inspiring moment if not for the fact that the second the words left her lips, Luz tripped over a tree root and tumbled down a small cliff into the bushes below. 

It was about noon by the time they finally reached the Owl House. (Or at least Luz thought it might be noon. Frankly, she still wasn't quite sure how time worked here) When Luz approached the front door, they were all greeted by a very high-pitched bird head.

"Bringing strangers home, hoot? How scandalous, Luz." Hooty said.

"Hooty, they aren't strangers. I've brought them all here before!" Luz said. 

"Hmmm are you sure? I definitely don't remember this one." Hooty said, moving out of the door in his creepy tube-body just to get right into Willow's face.

"Yes, Hooty. Now would you let us inside? I have to talk to Eda." Luz said, already reaching for the door handle.

"You always want to talk to Eda! How come nobody wants to talk to Hooty?" He said, getting aggravated out of nowhere. Luz silently opened the door and led her friends inside while Hooty began to talk to himself, "It's never 'good morning, Hooty' or 'How was your day, Hooty?' Doesn't take much effort, people!"

"That thing has problems." Amity muttered once all four of them were inside. Although they didn't say it, Willow and Gus silently agreed. Eda, who had gotten bored of her fruit experiments a few minutes earlier, was currently sitting on the couch, locked in the middle of a game of Hexes Hold'em with King. 

"You're back!" King shouted once he noticed them there. Eda, however, didn't react at all and continued staring into her deck. 

"Oh, thank goodness. She never pays attention when she's playing that game," Luz whispered to Willow. "Watch. Hey, Eda? Would you mind if I melted down all of your jewelry so I can make a giant statue of myself?"

"Yeah yeah, sure whatever." Eda mumbled, putting down a card that zapped one of King's cards with electricity. 

"Awesome. Also, IneedtoborrowOwlbertsowecangettothetopofMtPerishokaythanks." Luz said quickly, grabbing the witch's staff that was leaning against the wall. Before she could even take another step, however, a card flew straight at her like a shuriken and stuck into the wall a mere inch next to her face.

"Now you hold on a second there, Luz." Eda said, standing up and facing them. As she did so, King made work in shuffling around the cards. "What was that about you taking Owlbert to go to the top of Mt. Perish?" With no other options, Luz began explaining the entire situation to Eda, along with some helpful add-ins from Willow and Gus. (Amity seemed to feel rather awkward and occupied herself with avoiding eye contact with Eda) When Luz had finished telling her story, Eda scratched her chin and processed the information.

"Hm. Researchers on endangered and extinct monsters, huh? Never heard of 'em. Then again, when you're a hermit who lives in the woods, you don't hear about much," She cackled at her own joke. "Regardless, you are not taking Owlbert on this "quest" of yours."

"What? Why not?" Luz asked, dumbfounded.

"Because first of all, I don't want any of you breaking him," She said, shooting Luz a particular look. "Second of all, Owlbert doesn't do well in the cold. If you bring him up to the top of that mountain, he could freeze to death. Or catch a cold! Sorry, Luz, but I'm not negotiating on this one." Eda said, taking the staff back from Luz's hands. 

"But Eda, without Owlbert how else are we going to get to the top of that mountain?" Luz was clearly distraught.

"I don't know, climb?" Eda suggested with a shrug. Upon seeing the look on everyone's faces, Eda huffed. "Alright, alright. I think I might have something that'll help you out. But I need you to promise me, I need you to swear to me that you'll be careful with it." She said, pointing a finger at Luz dramatically.

"Uh, okay. I swear." Luz said. This seemed to be good enough and Eda stepped out of the room, not before grabbing King by the scruff of his neck and taking him with her. 

"Oh by the way, cool hat, kid." She said to Gus before disappearing down the hall. Gus beamed and puffed out his chest proudly.

"She's just going to let us go, no questions asked?" Amity asked, looking at Luz.

"Maybe she knows that even if she tells us no, we'll end up going anyway." said Willow as she shifted uneasily. When Eda returned- King was now perched on her shoulder- she was carrying a large wooden box with a lock. She knelt down on the floor, opening the lock with an odd-looking bronze key, and opened the box. Inside was a pair of strikingly beautiful white wings; they almost looked like felted ones you'd buy at a human costume shop, only these were clearly real.

"These," Eda explained. "Are the Wings of Light. An extremely rare item that, when worn, allows the user to fly as freely as they want. It'll feel a bit wonky when you first try it out, but I'm sure you'll figure it out." Luz touched the wings with gentle fingers, her eyes widening in awe. She was convinced these were the softest material in the universe.

"Wow... How come you've never used these before?" Luz asked as Eda began tying them with string to make them easier to travel with.

"Who says I need to?" Eda said with a wink, handing the wings back to Luz. Even though the wings were quite large, Luz found that they weighed almost nothing. Eda handed them all a few bags full of food, water, and "Surprises," she said ominously. Once they had all gotten their supplies, it was time to head off. 

"Now I'm trusting you four not to die on the mountain, got it? I'm going to be really mad if you do." Eda said, smirking.

"We'll be fine. Thank you so much, Eda!" Luz said, giving her a quick hug and kissing King on the forehead.

"Make sure to watch out for the Frost Yetis!" Eda called as Luz shut the door. Everyone seemed quite content as they began to head in the direction of Mt. Perish (Amity was leading this time.)

"Hey, Luz?" Willow asked after about a minute of silence. "The Wings of Light... I've read about them. They're an incredible rare and valuable item. How did Eda get one?"

"Honestly, I think it's better that we just never ask." Luz responded. 


	5. The Trek

It was a very, very long walk from the Owl House to the mountains. With Amity leading the group using a map she conjured up, Luz excitedly talked to Willow and Gus about the quest, about school, about anything, really. By the time the they approached the rocky, flat area, everyone was completely exhausted. 

"Are we almost there? I feel like my legs are about to fall off!" Luz complained as she struggled keeping up with everyone else.

"Yes, we're close now." said Amity. Although she was clearly trying to hide it, she looked just as worn out as the rest of them. "The Owl House was located on the lower end of the Titan. The mountains are in the eyes, so even with this being the most straightforward path, it's a huge distance to travel."

"The _eyes?_ Why are they in the eyes?" Luz cringed at the thought of mountains coming out of her eyes. 

"Same reason there's a desert in the mouth. No one really knows." Willow said, taking a dainty sip of the water Eda had given her. 

"We should be able to see Mt. Perish soon, if I'm not mistaken." Amity said as she folded her map, which then disappeared with a puff of purple smoke. Amity was clearly not mistaken, for just as they marched up a small mound of dirt, everyone got their first view of the giant structure. 

Luz could see where the name came from. An overwhelmingly massive point of grey rock that went past the clouds and beyond. The upper part that remained below the clouds was caked in thick snow that trickled down the sides. Luz had never seen anything so huge, not even back home. There were several mountains surrounding it that made up the range, but none of them even came close to Perish's height or mass. Luz gulped nervously. 

"Wow... It would be beautiful if I wasn't so terrified right now." Gus said. Willow nodded silently, seemingly agreeing with his statement. 

"That's where our dragon is, guys," Luz pointed at the top, trying to distract herself from her own fear rising in her throat. "Right at the top of that is Asterphilion the Great, last of his kind."

"Quite a title." Willow commented.

"Thank you, I came up with it just now," said Luz. "We're the last things stopping an entire species of ancient creatures from vanishing forever. Now, lets go climb that mountain!" Although the sentiment was there, the funny thing about anything that big is that you're able to see them even from massive distances away. While Mt. Perish did seem close enough to go up to, in actuality there was still another thirty minutes of walking to be done before they got anywhere close. By the time the group _actually_ reached the base, everyone was in pure agony.

"I'm never going to be able to walk again." Luz sat down and rubbed her aching feet as the group stopped to rest. Willow seemed relieved to finally sit, while Gus just immediately laid down in the dirt. Amity, however, seemed to be analyzing the mountain and stared up at it. 

"I think we should camp out tonight and start climbing tomorrow," She said. "It's already getting dark, and it's not a good idea to do _anything_ on the Isles after dark, let alone climb a mountain." As much as Luz hated admitting it, Amity was completely right. Luz was so eager to start the descent upwards as soon as possible, but with everyone this exhausted from the walk and the possibility of getting attacked by hideous monsters of the night, it would be in everyone's best interest to just wait until morning.

"You're right, Amity. We'll rest up for tonight, and then depart at sun rise." Gus and Willow seemed quite happy with this plan. Making a magic circle with her finger, Willow summoned several thick walls of thorns to surround them, making a protective barrier between them and whatever might be creeping around at night. 

Luz felt rather at peace after everyone had laid down to sleep (they had forgotten sleeping bags so everyone was laying on patches of flowers Willow created). It was a beautiful starry night, and she had all of her friends besides her. Friends she had never had... Friends she probably wouldn't have met if she hadn't decided to stay in the Boiling Isles. It's crazy to imagine just how much a single decision would change your life. 

"Hey, guys?" Luz asked into the night sky. She got a tired grunt in response from Willow. "Thank you. Not just for this stuff with the dragons, but for being there for me when I need you. I couldn't imagine having better friends anywhere." There wasn't a response to her words, but as Luz's eyes slowly closed, she just somehow knew that everyone felt the exact same way.

When Luz's eyes opened the next morning, the first thing she saw was a small black bird standing on her chest. Its face and beak looking like a plague doctor mask.

"Reh! Gimmie your wallet!" It crowed into her face. Luz shrieked a little, batting at the bird until it flew away. When she sat up, she saw that Willow and Amity were both already awake while Gus snoozed on. The two witchlings seemed to be in deep conversation among themselves, something Luz was rather happy to see. She was glad Amity had indeed been keeping her promise to try and be friends with Willow again. As Luz stood up, Amity noticed her movement. 

"Oh, good morning, Luz." She said as Luz approached them. 

"Morning, ladies!" Luz said, plopping down right besides them. "Whatcha talking about?"

"We're trying to make an efficient plan for the quickest and easiest way to get up Mt. Perish," Willow explained. "As well as the methods that don't involve us using up too much magic."

"I see, I see..." Luz nodded her head, pretending like she had several ideas of how to help with this planning. 

"We thought that Willow could summon a stream of vines that could just carry us like rope, and then I raise a bigger Abomination that could carry us the rest of the way." Amity said, drawing in the dirt with a stick. 

"Sounds perfectly witchy! Ooh, maybe after your Abomination, I could use my ice glyph to send us flying upwards!" Luz suggested, excitedly pulling out her ice glyph from her pocket. Amity and Willow shared a look.

"I think it's best if we handle things just for today." Willow said gently.

"Oh. Okay, if that's what you think is best." Luz said, putting the glyph back into her pocket. That little bit of doubt from earlier had started to try and climb out, but Luz just pushed it back down again. Willow and Amity were probably right, it was best to let the trained witches test the waters before Luz got involved. After all, it was called "wild magic" for a reason. A few minutes later, Gus woke up and Willow lowered the thorn wall. 

"Everyone ready? We all got our juice and snacks?" Luz double checked that everyone had their supplies. "Sweet! Then let's go find ourselves a dragon!" Willow took a deep breath, preparing herself, and made a large circle with her finger. Below their feet, four huge green vines rose from the dirt, powered by Willow's magic. The vines wrapped themselves around everyone's abdomen and lifted them a few inches off of the ground. Suddenly, the vines all reared back, and flung the four of them into the air, sending them flying straight at the mountain. 


	6. Mt. Perish

Everyone screamed as they were hurled into the air, the force of the cold air causing Luz's eyes to water. They were heading straight for a cliff in the mountain's side, no doubt about to crash head-on into solid rock. Willow, thinking quickly, made frantic circles with her fingers, although Luz couldn't see what she was doing. Bracing for the collision, Luz closed her eyes and covered her head, but was met with a much softer landing than she expected. She carefully opened one eye and saw that she had been caught by a single massive leaf leaning just over the cliff's edge. Around her, Willow, Amity, and Gus also landed safely onto massive leaves, undoubtedly what Willow was doing before.

Luz carefully stepped off of the leaf and onto the cliff, her legs shaking a bit she did so. That experience would've actually been fun if she was expecting it. Gus' face had gone very pale and he clung to Willow's cloak as they also stepped onto the cliff. Amity, however, glared at Willow furiously.

"Willow! What was _that?_ The vines were supposed to carry us up, not fling us into the air!" She berated. Willow looked guilty as the giant leaves sunk back into the ground.

"I'm sorry, Amity, I really don't know what happened!" She defended herself weakly. "I tried doing what we agreed on, but it was like the vines had a mind of their own!" Amity clearly had a lot she wanted to say in response, but instead took a very long, deep breath.

"Fine. Just make sure it doesn't happen again." She said before turning and dusting off her leggings. Luz glanced over the side of the mountain and was rather pleased to see that the throwing vines actually had gotten them up a decent way. They were at least a couple hundred feet up from the ground, and Luz was quick to figure out that she probably shouldn't look down like that for too long. She turned away from the cliff and to Willow, who looked extremely depressed.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Luz comforted. "Mistakes happen to everyone. And to be fair, you did get us up the mountain. Albeit in a terrifying way, but an effective one." Willow smiled a tiny bit.

"Thanks, Luz." Was all she said. She moved closer to where Amity was standing, and Luz's attention was moved onto Gus, who still looked very shaken up.

"You good, Guster?" Luz asked, patting his shoulder. Gus nodded a bit frantically.

"I'm great, haha," he chuckled weakly. "Did I ever mention I'm not a fan of heights? Because I'm not a fan of heights."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," she assured. "Just don't look down." At her words, Gus' eyes slowly began to travel towards the edge of the cliff. Luz quickly clasped her hands over his eyes. "I said don't look down!"

"Luz?" Amity's voice interrupted them. Luz hadn't even realized that Amity had summoned an Abomination, but a large purple-and-black goo monster was standing right besides her on the cliff, its mouth hanging open like a zombie. This one was much larger than her usual Abominations; it actually reminded Luz of the one she had made at Grom. "We should get moving. It's not a good idea to stay in one spot for too long." Luz agreed, and walked over to where the Abomination stood. 

"Abomination, carry." Amity commanded. The Abomination opened its large arms and grabbed all four of them, holding them tightly. It was like being hugged by lukewarm smile, which Luz didn't mind all the much. Willow and Gus, on the other hand, looked mildly uncomfortable. Amity struggled a bit to get her hand free from the Abomination's tight hold, but managed to wiggle it loose. She made a circle in the air, and suddenly another pair of arms sprouted from the Abomination's back.

"Abomination, climb." said Amity. With a groan of acknowledgment, the Abomination began scaling the mountain with its two new arms, keeping a tight hold on the students with its other ones. Luz had to admit, out of every kind of transportation she had encountered while on the Boiling Isles, being carried by Amity's Abomination was not one of her favorites. She could barely move any of her limbs, she felt like her bones were being crushed, and while she didn't mind the feeling of an ooze monster, the Abomination positively reeked. Luz supposed she had never been close enough to one for this long to notice just how badly they smelled.

The Abomination climbed for quite some time, and Luz found her breaths becoming more ragged as time went on. They had gotten pretty far up when suddenly the Abomination groaned in agony. Luz wasn't able to see what was happening in enough time before the Abomination's grip on her released and she slid down the mountain side. Luz was able to stop herself on a very narrow edge, the front of her shoes hanging over as she scrambled to grab onto anything that might prevent her from falling.

"Luz!" She heard Amity yell above her before watching, in absolute horror, as something knocked the Abomination back, sending it falling off of the mountain. The Abomination grew smaller and smaller as it plummeted. Then, Luz heard a sickening crash below.

"No!" Luz screamed, reaching out for something she couldn't hope to grab. "No no no no! Willow! Gus! Amity!" She screamed for her friends.

"Luz!" She heard from above her again. She craned her head to look, and was filled with utter relief to see that all three of them had managed to weasel their ways out of the Abomination's arms, and were all sitting above her on a much bigger cliff. Her relief turned to panic again, however, as she quickly realized just what had knocked the Abomination back. It was a huge black monster that stood on four clawed paws. It had a snout and pointed ears like a dog, but several red eyes dotted its face. The back of it was shiny, like a beetle, and Luz could see a bit pointed scorpion's tail by its rear.

"Coyobug!" Gus shouted, and all three of them dodged just in the nick of time before the monster could impale them with its stinger. 

"Guys!" Luz cried out as the witchlings moved further towards the mountain, leaving Luz unable to see them. The monster growled and her friends yelled things that Luz couldn't make out from where she was. She attempted to climb up to where they were, but the rocks were almost completely flat. Panicking between not falling to her death and wanting to help her friends, Luz formed an idea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two of her glyph sheets. 

"Please work, please work." She said to herself, putting one of the sheets just under her sneakers. She stepped on the symbol, and a large multi-colored flower quickly sprouted from the paper. It sent Luz flying into the air, just high enough where she could reach the upper cliff side. 

The Coyobug had Amity cornered, standing above her while Willow and Gus seemed to both be in the middle of frantically completing a spell. Luz was heading straight for the side of the mountain, but before she crashed she placed her second glyph into the palm of her hand. Making sure the angle was just right, she activated the glyph, and a pillar of ice shot out of the paper. The ice smashed into the Coyobug's head, knocking it back. Luz pumped her fist in victory before colliding face-first with the mountain.

"Ow." She said as she slowly slid down. The Coyobug got back to its feet and shook out its body. It looked around at its four opponents before turning around and leaping off the cliff. Willow and Gus watched as the monster climbed down the mountain, vanishing from their sight. Luz landed directly next to Amity, rubbing the bridge of her nose in pain.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked. Willow and Gus both seemed unhurt, to her relief. Luz stood up and helped Amity to her feet. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," Amity said, looking to the side as her cheeks twinged a familiar red. "Thanks... For saving me, Luz."

"Of course! There's no way I'd ever let my friends get eaten by a monster." She said proudly. Amity stared at her for a solid ten seconds.

"Yes." She finally uttered. 

Luz brushed the excess dirt and pebbles off of her outfit, then looked up. There wasn't too much left to go now. Before the day was over, she would be standing face-to-face with a dragon. 


	7. Falling and Soaring

Everyone was rather shaken up after the Coyobug attack. They decided to continue the rest of the way up in a line formation in fear of being separated again. Amity summoned another Abomination- a much smaller one this time- to protect the back of the line while Gus was at the lead. He created an illusion of himself and sent it ahead of them to scout for any danger. Luz was placed right in the middle of the line, still working on getting the adrenaline to wear off. With every step, it grew colder and colder, something Willow was starting to struggle with. 

"We're getting close," Amity commented as she helped Luz up onto another ledge. "Maybe you should try using those wings now." Luz didn't want to admit that she had actually kind of forgotten about the wings through everything that had just happened. Nevertheless, they were still strapped to her back looking as beautiful as ever. 

"So... does anyone know how to use these?" Luz asked as she removed the string.

"You didn't think to ask?" Amity demanded.

"In hindsight, not my smartest move." Luz said weakly. Willow gave Amity a calming pat on the shoulder before taking the wings from Luz.

"I've only read about them once before, but I think I remember how you use them." She said. Everyone watched as Willow pressed the wings onto Luz's back, closing her eyes as she concentrated. The wings began to glow, a warm golden light pulsing from them. Willow took her hands off and Luz was quite excited to see that the wings were now latched onto her back as if they were a part of her body.

"Aw, yeah! Willow, you're the best!" Luz cheered and gave her friend a tight squeeze, knocking her glasses down to the bridge of her nose. 

"Shucks," Willow blushed as she fixed her glasses. "When they're on, they're just like a normal body part. So you just have to try and strengthen it like a muscle." She explained. Luz nodded and took another look at her new wings. Just like a muscle, huh? 

"No problem, Willow! Okay, everyone step back!" Luz said boldly. Willow, Gus, and Amity each took a single step backwards. Luz closed her eyes and imagined herself soaring through the clouds. She saw her wings flapping, lifting her off of the ground and into the sky. She could feel it! She could feel herself getting higher into the air!

"Am I doing it?" She asked.

"No." Was the response. 

It took quite some time before Luz even managed to get her feet off of the ground (or, well, cliff) It turns out, Eda wasn't lying for once; these wings were wonky! Luz struggled to keep herself balanced as the wings flapped awkwardly, slipping and tumbling in the air like a barrel in water. By the time the sun was more than halfway across the sky, she had finally managed to get into the air, stay there, and land again without error. Even as difficult as it was, flying felt incredible. She was actually rather miffed at Eda for not telling her about these sooner.

"I think that's as good as it's going to be." said Amity once Luz had landed back down.

"Woo! Go Luz! You show those wings!" Gus encouraged gleefully. Luz looked upwards towards the tip of the mountain. She could just about see the snow-covered peak through the clouds now. It was now or never. 

"You guys stay here while I talk to Asterphilion," Luz said. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Luz was about to step off of the cliff to soar upwards, but stopped. She had been avoiding looking for a while, but they were an incredibly high distance up. So high, in fact, that Luz couldn't even see the ground anymore. All that was stopping her from plummeting to her death was this pair of wings that she was still a rookie with.

"Luz? Are you okay?" Willow asked. The doubt that Luz had continuously been repressing had finally climbed its way out of the pit and banged on her brain's door, demanding to be let it.

"Y-yep, I'm great!" Luz stammered nervously. Oh boy, was she feeling this nauseous before? And had the mountain always been spinning? Maybe she should sit down for a minute. Luz went to move her foot, but the inevitable happened; she slipped. Down, down she fell off the mountain. She heard her friends call her name, but she was falling at such a high velocity that the sound faded instantly.

 _"Okay, Luz,"_ she thought. _"This is fine. Just use your wings. Just use your wings. Any day now!"_ As hard as she tried, it was like her body was immobilized. She continued falling. _"Come on! You're going to die if you don't move!"_ "GO!" Luz screamed the words and rocketed upwards. She was moving so fast her eyes began to water again. She made up the distance she had fallen, and notice three witchlings and an Abomination as she soared passed. 

"I'm okay, guys!" She called to them nonchalantly. "I"m going up!" She told them before doing just that. It took no time at all before Luz spotted a massive cave opening just under the mountain's peak. That was no doubt where she had to go. She fell into a snowbank with a bit less grace than she had intended, but in one piece. It was freezing cold now and the air was very thin, making it difficult to breathe.

Luz's wings folded behind her like a bird and she braced herself. As she got closer to the cave, she could see a shimmering wall of rainbow light covering the entrance. 

"That must be the barrier." She said to herself. This was the moment of truth. As she got closer, the doubt continued to pound on the door. What if Dr. Ray had been wrong about her? What if she didn't actually have a pure heart after all? What if she dragged all of her friends along on this crazy adventure and it was all for nothing? 

Luz was so busy worrying about terrible outcomes that she didn't even notice she had passed through the barrier.

It was dark and wet inside the cave, but surprisingly quite warm. Luz had barely had time to realize just how cold she actually was until she was surrounded by great warmth. Actually, it was very warm. Sweat droplets began to appear on her forehead as she ventured deeper into the cave. She wondered what Asterphilion might look like. The size of the cave entrance suggested something huge, but Eda had mentioned how some dragons were small. 

"Hello?" Luz called into the darkness. "My name is Luz Noceda. I'm looking for an Asterphilion?" There was no answer. Maybe he was out to lunch? The deeper Luz ventured into the cave, the hotter it got. Luz felt like she might overheat if she stayed in her too long. 

"I am Luz Noceda," she repeated. "And I'm looking for Asterphilion the Great. If he's here... Oh wow, it's hot..." She panted. A low, rumbling growl from the darkness distracted Luz from the temperature. She felt chills run down her spine.

"You seek Asterphilion?" A deep voice spoke. It felt like the sound itself was shaking the ground. "Why not look at what's in front of you?" Reaching a hand into her pocket, Luz pulled out her light glyph. She pressed a trembling finger onto the symbol and the paper changed into the familiar ball of light.

Now with a light source, Luz could finally see that she was standing in front of the biggest creature she had ever seen in her life. 


	8. Asterphilion

Luz stepped back, nearly crumpling to her knees. The head of the dragon peeked out from the dark cave, staring down at her.

He was _massive._ Even though his chin rested against the cave floor, Luz only got up to his upper lip in height. His scales were a pearl-color, shimmering rainbow as the light beamed off of them. Instead of spines being on its head- like Luz expected- it had a course purple mane that extended from the top of its head down, although Luz couldn't see the dragon's back from the position they were in. Its eyes glowed a deep ruby color, and two long whiskers protruded from its cheeks, flowing like string. It had two large pointed ears, inside of which was the same purple hair. Luz noticed that besides her, two giant white paws were laying symmetrically on either side; curved black claws grew from each part.

"So you seek Asterphilion. What purpose have you with me?" The dragon rumbled. As it opened its mouth to talk, Luz could see an endless amount of sharpened teeth. She swallowed.

"Um... well, see... it's, um..." She stumbled over her words, failing to form her sentences. Asterphilion watched her struggle, seemingly finding it amusing. 

"How peculiar," the dragon interrupted her senseless mumbling. "It's been centuries since a human last came to this world." His slit pupils looked straight at her ears. By instinct, Luz covered them with her hands, but his words sunk in.

"Wait, a human's been in the Boiling Isles before?" She asked. Asterphilion closed his eyes, remembering.

"Yes. It was long, long ago. A human ventured into our world and lived among the witches," He spoke. "I spoke to her only once. She was a kind soul, with a constant desire to prove herself. She didn't always make the smartest choices, but her heart was never in the wrong place." His eyes suddenly shot open. "Very similar to you, Luz Noceda."

"How did you know that?" Luz asked, her fear slowly melting into fascination. 

"My magical barrier prevents all from entering, witches, demons, and all in between," said Asterphilion. "However, the only ones permitted to pass through are those with the hearts of dragons, or those with the hearts of the good. Seeing as you are clearly not a dragon, that means that you have a good heart, human. Your intentions are just, and your kindness knows no bounds." He said. Luz felt her cheeks growing warm.

"Oh, stop it." She gushed. "But, that human that came here before. What was her name? Did she ever return to the Human world? Did she learn magic?" Luz bombarded the dragon. 

"Unfortunately, I am not sure of your questions. My memory has begun to fade as I've grown older. I cannot remember her name, nor if she ever returned to the world she came from. However, I do not recall that she ever wielded magic." He answered. 

"I see..." Luz answered. So she was the first human to ever learn magic...

"Luz Noceda." said the dragon.

"Oh, you can just call me Luz." 

"Very well. Luz. Why have you come here?" He asked. "I have lived atop this mountain for many years without seeing another living soul. I am truly puzzled at the reason you've come seeking me, or how you managed to find me in the first place." He said. It seemed that Asterphilion found Luz just as fascinating as she found him.

"Well I didn't get up here without help. My three friends, Willow, Gus, and Amity all helped me!"

"A human and three witchlings managed to climb the tallest mountain on the Isles?" Asterphilion asked, sounding almost skeptical. 

"Yeah! They're all crazy talented. Probably some of the most powerful witches alive," Luz was very quick to compliment her friends. "It also helps that my other witch friend, Eda, let me borrow these." She opened her wings to show Asterphilion. "Oh, but the reason I'm here. A group of dragon researches recently discovered you lives here, and they want to help protect you! You're the last dragon alive, so ensuring your safety is a top priority. I came to ask for your permission to let them keep you safe." Asterphilion made a low rumble in his throat.

"I am honored by your charity. However, I will have to reject that offer, human," he said. "I have lived here longer than you've been alive, and I have yet to face any true threats or danger. I am perfectly capable of defending myself. I do not need a bunch of witches to do it for me." 

"But you just said before that you're growing older. You won't be able to protect yourself for very much longer!" Luz argued.

"If it comes to a point where I am too weak to fight back, then I will simply accept my demise," he said, closing his eyes. "I am the survivor of a lost war. I have lived years knowing that every other member of my kind was slaughtered. For the selfishness of the witches. They took my friends, they took my siblings, they took my mate, and they took my children."

"You had children?" Luz asked in a very quiet voice. Asterphilion's paws clenched.

"I did. Three of them. They had just started learning to fly when I lost them." He said through a strained voice. "I lost my mate shortly after. I was barely able to escape with my life. I fled to the top of the mountain and used what remained of strength and magic to keep others away. It worked, but by the time I had recovered, everyone that I ever loved was gone."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve it. None of the dragons did." Luz said, her body filling with rage and sadness. "But you shouldn't have to live the rest of your days hiding away in a dark cave! You should be able to talk to others and have a life that's filled with joy and excitement, not fear. That's why I need you to let us help you. Let us help you learn how to live again!"

Asterphilion went silent for quite some time. Luz didn't dare utter another word. 

"If this is what you think is best," he finally spoke after an eternity. "Then... I will go through with it. I do not trust humans any more than I trust witches. But I trust your heart, Luz Noceda. I trust that your judgement surpass my own. Perhaps it is time for these old bones to fly once more."

Without warning, Asterphilion began moving forwards. Luz jumped out of the way just in time as the dragon forced himself out of the cave opening. Now Luz was able to see what the great beast looked like in its entirety. 

His body was thin, but incredibly long. It was so long, in fact, that Luz was rather curious of how all of him managed to fit in the cave. His body was all the same pearl-colored scales, which was a bit disappointing, but the purple mane atop his head flowed all the way down his spine and stopped at his tail. Instead of two wings, Luz was surprised to see that he had dozens of pairs of wings on his body, completely covering his back. They moved in perfect unison, however, pushing the incredible beast into the sky.

Luz stood at the cave entrance, watching in amazement as Asterphilion appeared to almost dance on the clouds, his back paws just stroking the tops of them. He flew back over and placed his chin upon the cliff's edge, his twinkling eyes aligning with Luz's.

"Well, what are you waiting for, human? Hop on and tell me where to go." Luz didn't need to be told twice. 


	9. Saved?

Luz couldn't believe how lucky she was. Here she was, the only human in a world filled with magic and monsters, befriending and now currently riding on the back of the world's last dragon. It was even better than flying with the Wings of Light!

She gripped tightly onto Asterphilion's purple mane (which she was pleasantly surprised to find was much softer than it looked) and tried to hang on as he soared through the orange sky. It seemed that even through his wisdom and power, the dragon was trying to impress the girl by doing constant loops in the air. Luz was so busy enjoying her life-long dream that she almost completely forgot why she had come here in the first place.

"Oh! Asterphilion? Can I call you Aster?" She basically yelled so he could hear her.

"You may not. What is it?"

"My witch friends are still waiting a bit below the summit. Could we go get them?" She asked. Asterphilion made another low rumble in his throat, and Luz could feel his entire body vibrate with the sound.

"Must we? In case you haven't realized it, I don't care very much for witches. I would rather not have three witchlings climbing on top of me." He growled.

"I know you don't, but these three are on your side! Just like the researchers, they're here to help you. I promise they'll be good." She assured, stroking his scales (although she wasn't too sure he could even feel that.)

"Very well. But if they try anything at all, I will not hesitate to burn them all." He grumbled, turning back around and heading for the mountain. Through the stream of clouds, Luz could see three tiny dots sitting where she had left them.

"WILLOW! GUS! AMITY!" Luz screamed to them, waving her hands frantically for their attention. As they got closer, however, it was clear their attention was _not_ on Luz. 

Asterphilion stopped just in front of the cliff, hovering in midair. Luz carefully walked forward so she was standing just by the dragon's head and grinned widely at her friend's flabbergasted expressions.

"Look what I found!" she said. Nobody said a word, so Luz continued. "This is Asterphilion. Asterphilion, this is Willow, Gus, and Amity."

"Charmed." The dragon grunted in a not-so-friendly way. 

"Um... hello." Willow squeaked nervously. 

"Wow! A real dragon! I can't believe I'm meeting one now!" Gus was quick to change to enthusiasm. "You're so much bigger than I thought! Well, I have heard that the more magical a dragon is, the bigger it gets. So I guess it makes sense-" As Gus rambled, Luz could see Asterphilion's lip curling into a snarl.

"Gus!" Luz interrupted him. "Let's just hold back on the analysis for now, okay?"

"Oh. Sure!" He chirped. Besides him, Amity was simply staring at the dragon with wide eyes. 

"What's the matter, witch? Haven't your parents ever taught you that staring is rude?" Asterphilion growled at her. Amity's face lit up with alarm and she quickly looked away.

"Yes. My apologies." She said. Luz looked in between everyone. This was going so well!

"Right. Well, now we have a dragon to deliver. Everyone hop on!" Luz motioned them. Amity was the one to state the obvious.

"You want us to get on top of that thing?" She scoffed. "Luz, I'm pretty sure it would kill us if given the chance."

"I probably would," Asterphilion responded before Luz. "However, I trust Luz. And if Luz says that you three are worthy of trust as well, then I will begrudgingly accept your help."

"Gee, thanks." Amity rolled her eyes. Luz helped all three of them onto Asterphilion's back.

"Oh wow, your hair is so soft!" Gus complimented, basically burying his head into the purple hair.

"Er, thank you." Asterphilion said strangely. They were all ready to go, but the dragon hesitated.

"What's wrong?" asked Luz.

"I fear being seen," he replied. "I understand these "researchers" are looking to protect me, but if I am seen by all the inhabitants of the Isle, then there won't be a spell powerful enough to keep them all away."

"Oh, don't worry! I can handle that." Gus said before making a giant magic circle.

"What'll that do?" Luz asked.

"A transforming illusion. Now if anyone sees us from below, they'll see a Skemigor." He said. Luz desperately wanted to ask what a Skemigor was, but decided that could wait until later.

"I appreciate that, witchling." Asterphilion said. Gus looked rather proud of himself at the compliment. 

Without giving much of a warning, Asterphilion shot straight up into the air. They soared just below the clouds, the chill breeze ruffling through their cloaks.

"Wow! You can see the entire Isle from here!" Willow commented, looking down. It was true, from this distance up you could see the entire skeleton of the Titan. Even Amity seemed impressed. Dr. Ray had told them to bring Asterphilion to their research center, which was located by the lower right rib cage. Luz relayed this information to Asterphilion, who headed in that direction. It was completely smooth sailing (or flying) on the back of the dragon. Luz couldn't wait to brag about this to Eda later.

It took hardly any time at all to get to the lower ribs. It was mostly flat land with a few occasional trees. Asterphilion glided just above the area, looking for any sign of life.

"There they are!" Willow pointed towards a large stretch of plains. Luz could just make out Dr. Ray standing by a large caravan, surrounded by quite a few other people. _Must be his research team,_ she thought. Asterphilion landed just in front of the caravan, and the four students climbed off his back. The illusion spell had worn off at this point, and everyone was staring up at the dragon in amazement. 

"Dr. Ray!" Luz greeted him. "Asterphilion agreed to letting your research team help protect him!"

"So I see." Dr. Ray said, smiling quite excitedly as he looked up at the dragon. Asterphilion looked rather uncomfortable as everyone gawked at him. "Here's your reward, of course. Just a small appreciation of a job well done." He handed Luz a bulging cloth sack. It felt heavy. "Well, we'll take it from here. Asterphilion will live the rest of his life in complete bliss and safety. Chancey here will take you home." He motioned towards a towering witch with half-moon glasses who was pulling a lone carriage. Luz, Willow, and Gus were about to walk over, but Amity stopped them. 

"Hold on just a second," she said. "What are you going to do with him?" Dr. Ray seemed puzzled.

"What ever do you mean? We'll take him back to our research center, where he will be looked after and cared for by our entire team. There will be plenty of spells in place to make sure he's never found by anyone." He explained. Luz took a glance at Amity. She was extremely on edge. 

"Oh, is that the plan?" She sneered at him. "Because I looked all over the place for that research center when we were flying. And there isn't anything for miles." Dr. Ray looked like he was sweating- even though snakes don't sweat. "Also, I did a quick Oogle search of your name before, and I couldn't find any records of a Dr. Rayden Vayden anywhere on the Isles.

"Highly suspicious, is it not? But I thought perhaps it was overthinking on my part. Until you opened your mouth, "Doctor." Pray, do tell: What happened to you holding out your ss's when you talk?"

Everyone froze. Luz, Willow, and Gus all shared alarmed looks. Dr. Ray seemed fearful for a split second before he began to laugh and laugh.

"What's so funny?" Amity demanded. Before either of them could react, Asterphilion let out a roar of distress. All around them, the witches were using magic circles to tie up his legs and wings with glowing rope. He fell onto his side, shaking the ground at the impact. Asterphilion began spitting violet fire towards the witches, but his mouth proceeded to be snapped shut by more magic rope.

"No!" Luz screamed. She moved to try and help, but the four of them were surrounded by more witches. They were all tough, mean, and laughing evilly. Dr. Ray stepped forwards, shaking his head pitifully.

"Boo, you've caught us," he pouted his lip sarcastically. "And such a shame, too. I was intending on letting you four go free, I really was. But of course, you try-hards always have something to prove. It's a pity, really." He snapped his fingers, and all four of them were grabbed and held by four bulking figures. They grabbed Amity, Gus, and Willow by their hands, preventing them from doing any magic. Dr. Ray moved in towards Luz, smirking at her angry expression.

"I know how valuable Dragon Heart is on the market... But I do wonder how much we'll get from a Human Heart?" His eyes widened as much as his sinister smile. 

"You're not going to get away with this. Someone will stop you!" Luz shouted, swinging her legs to try and kick the snake man. Dr. Ray chuckled as he stepped back.

"My dear human, it's about time you've learned the way of the Boiling Isles: No one cares about you, or anyone else. Survival of the fittest, my dear." As the witches carried Luz and her friends towards the large chain of caravans, she could still hear his maniacal laughter ringing in her ears. 


	10. The Great Spaglini

The burly witch tossed Luz into a cage and slammed the door shut. He exited through the door, and with the split second it was open Luz could make out Asterphilion still struggling against the magical entrapment as more and more ropes bound him.

Willow, Gus, and Amity were all thrown into separate cages surrounding Luz, their hands tied together in rope to keep them from doing magic. They were trapped.

"Oh no, this is bad. This is really, really bad." Willow said, attempting to get her hands free.

"I had a feeling something would go wrong. I just knew it! We should've turned back when we had the chance, and now we're all going to be sold to the black market or something!" Amity said through gritted teeth. Luz couldn't believe it. She had actually believed that Dr. Ray wanted to right the wrongs of the past, but she had been completely wrong. He was just another selfish and cruel person. No wonder he tricked her into finding Asterphilion; with motives like that, there was no way any of them would've been able to pass through his magical barrier. And now, because of Luz, everyone was captured by the Dragon Hunters. It was all her fault. 

"Luz? Are you okay?" asked Willow. Luz sat on her knees and stared down at her hands. She wiped her eyes with her wrist to avoid crying in front of everyone.

"Eda was right," she mumbled. "The Isles aren't as nice as I thought they were. I guess even other worlds have bad people in them. I'm sorry I got you all into this mess. I should've known better." There was silence for a moment before Gus spoke,

"You don't have to be sorry. You thought you were doing the right thing. It's those Dragon Hunters that should be sorry!" He said loudly.

"Gus is right. We were all hesitant to go after Asterphilion because we were worried about our own safety. But you were willing to help right from the get-go," Willow said. "It's kind of amazing how selfless you are."

"I don't think it's necessarily that people are bad wherever you go. I think you're just too good in comparison to anyone else." Amity mumbled. Realizing she accidentally said that out loud, her cheeks flushed crimson. "I-I mean-!"

"Thanks, guys. That means a lot," Luz smiled up at them. "Really. Even if some witches aren't very nice, I'm glad I made friends with the ones who are." Luz got to her feet. She couldn't just sit here and mope, there was a dragon that needed her help! While she did indeed get everyone into this mess, it was up to her to get them out. It was at this moment that Luz noticed her hands were free. _I guess they thought I wouldn't be able to use magic. Jokes on them!_ she thought with a wicked grin as she reached into her pocket. Shoot, she was out of glyphs. She looked around for anything she could draw with, but the car was completely empty apart from the holding cells. All she had on her was her hoodie, wings, and... Wait, her wings!

"Forgive me, Eda!" Luz prayed to the ceiling as she began plucking off feathers. Her three friends watched with interest as Luz laid the feathers onto the ground in the shape of a plant glyph. Upon placing down the final feather, the wing stubs fell into her hands. 

"Please work, please work." Luz mumbled to herself before stepping her foot onto the center of the glyph. Suddenly, massive vines sprouted from the feather circle, growing so large and so fast that they completely knocked down her cell door before spreading into the other cages. Now free, Luz made quick work of untying everyone's hands.

"Okay, does anyone have any ideas of what to do now, because I did not think I'd get this far!" Luz asked as she freed Amity's hands.

"We should get help. You saw how many witches there were out there! There's no way we'll be able to take all of them on our own." Gus said. 

"I could use an Abomination. It'll be less suspicious, and they can move a lot faster than any of us could." Amity commented.

"That's a good idea, but Asterphilion could still be dead by the time the Abomination comes back," Luz said thoughtfully. "What we need is a distraction." They all shared a glance.

Outside, Asterphilion was almost completely bound by ropes. Although he continued to struggle, it was clear he was starting to grow tired.

"He's a real beauty, boss," one of the shorter witches was saying to Dr. Ray. "Bit of a shame we gotta kill something so nice-looking."

"Don't get too attached, you fool," Dr. Ray berated. "With a dragon that size, his heart will make us all rich! All those days and nights spent relentless searching for a dragon have finally paid off!"

"Yeah! And to think, we all thought this was a giant waste of time and that you were out of your mind." The short witch tutted, shaking her head. Dr. Ray glared at her before turning his attention back to Asterphilion.

"No need to struggle, sweet drake," he taunted. "You'll be reunited with your kind again. Isn't that what you want?" Asterphilion's eyes burned with fury, but he was unable to say anything. Dr. Ray chuckled. "Not so tough after all, are we? Hm, pathetic. Clauncey, I have to return to the base for my harvesting materials. Make sure the creature's stopped moving by then, yes?" Clauncey, who was now holding one of the ropes tying down the dragon, saluted. Dr. Ray made a magic circle with his finger, and with a poof of smoke he was gone.

"What'd ya reckon we'll get for the big guy?" One of the witches asked his companion. "Dr. Ray says he thinks at least 10,000 snails, but I think I'd rather be paid in gold, ya know?"

"Makes sense. As long as I get enough to pay off my student loans, I don't really care what it is." The other replied. Just then, everyone's attention was turned to the top of the caravan car as large fireworks exploded into the air. Standing atop the cars was Luz, only much taller than before. She sat upon Amity's shoulders, the two girls covered in a cloak of vines and leaves. On top of Luz's head was Gus' top hat, the fireworks exploding out of it made much bigger with the help of Gus himself.

"Come on, come all!" Luz shouted, trying to make her voice sound different. "Come over and see the Great Spaglini! The most powerful witch on all of the Boiling Isles! Here to perform an act just for all of you!"

"Say, doesn't that look like the human we captured earlier?" One of the witches below whispered to her companion.

"No way, this guy is all witch. Do you not see the awesome hat?" He scoffed at her.

"That's right, my good witches! Come this way, come and see the awesome power of Spaglini!" Luz continued announcing. The witches all flocked closer, intrigued. "Now watch closely, or you might miss it!" Luz showed her hands to her audience, and proceeded to "remove" her thumb. A great gasp rang out through the crowd. Even the ones holding back Asterphilion were amazed.

"And now my next trick!" Luz said. "Now, Amity!" She whispered to her companion. Inside the plant cloak, Amity did not look thrilled.

"Why did I have to be the legs...?" She muttered to herself before making a small magic circle. The purple-goo hand of an Abomination emerged from the top of the cars, waving to the audience. More shock rang through the crowd.

"He didn't make a circle!" "There wasn't any circle!" "This guy's really good!" The whispers bounced around. Luz grinned. It was working!

"And now, I shall-" Luz didn't get to finish her sentence before she was blasted backwards by a magic missile, sending her and Amity flying in different directions. Amity fell backwards off of the cars, but was caught by one of Willow's flower beds below. Her and Gus- who had been hiding from sight during Spaglini's act- made sure she was unhurt. Luz still stood atop the cars nervously.

"The Great Spaglini will be taking a quick break." She said, but she had nowhere to run too. Another magic missile was sent her way, just barely missing her. Dr. Ray stood in the same spot from earlier, his finger smoking after the attack. In his free hand he held a giant scalpel.

"That is more than enough," He hissed menacingly. "Enough of these games! Seize those hooligans and keep them out of our way!" He screamed at the broad witches from earlier. They made a beeline for Willow, Amity, and Gus, but a zap of yellow magic shot them all backwards before they could grab them.

"What the-?" Dr. Ray shouted, turning to look at the culprit. Amity's Abomination was back, and standing on top of its head was none other than Eda. She looked at the scene around her, then held her magic staff forwards.

"So sorry to join so late, Doctor, but I'm afraid I'll be winning this game." She smiled a nasty grin. 


	11. Magic Brawl

It was almost no contest with Eda there. She road the Abomination like a magnificent steed, sending bolts of yellow magic towards the crowd of witches. There was confused chaos as half of the witches fought back, while the other half attempted to get away.

"Come on, we can't just sit here and watch!" Willow yelled from below the caravan cars. Luz watched as the three of them ran into the fray, plants, abominations, and a large army of Gus's spreading throughout the crowd. Eda seemed to be having the time of her life. With another circle, dozens of cylindrical owls- that looked suspiciously like Hooty- popped up from the ground and began slamming into whatever witch was closest. Dr. Ray stood on the sidelines, watching the battle furiously.

"You idiots! It's one witch, just take her down!" He screamed.

"It's not just any one witch, you bozo!" Eda responded as she summoned a long red rope to tie together two of the burly witches from before. "I'm Eda the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles!"

"I thought that was Spaglini." One of the tied witches mumbled. The Abomination charged forwards, and Eda hopped off of it at the last second, coming face to face with Dr. Ray. She pointed her staff at him, but he only seemed vaguely threatened.

"Ah yes, the Owl Lady. I've heard about _you_ ," he hissed (quite literally). "Refuses to join a coven, instead remaining wild. Sells human garbage to unsuspecting witches."

"Yep, that's me." Eda said rather proudly. Dr. Ray smirked murderously.

"And carrier of quite a powerful Beast Curse. One that causes you great pain and magic loss, does it not?" Eda's confident smile faded.

"You know about it?" She demanded.

"Oh, I know plenty of things. I may not be a doctor, but I am a scientific mind in my own right," he said wickedly. "I know more about curses and plagues than anyone else you'd find. Yours is quite ancient, not something that's easy to come by. Quite interesting, really."

"Knock it off with the sweet talk, snake boy," Eda spat. "Do you know the cure?"

"Don't insult me, Owl Lady. Of course I do. Curses aren't easy to break, but it is possible with a specific potion. But my services aren't free, of course. I'm a man of business, I'm sure you can understand."

"I do and I hate it." replied Eda.

"Well, I'll cure your curse. Make it disappear forever, and hey, I'll even throw in a curse-protection just because I'm feeling generous," said Dr. Ray. "And in return, you allow us to take the dragon. What do you say?" He said, holding out a scaly hand. Eda looked at it, then to the top of the caravan where Luz still remained.

She was watching them with big bulging eyes, clearly not being able to hear what they were saying, but watching regardless. She then looked to Asterphilion, who by this point had stopped moving altogether, and was laying calmly with his eyes closed. She had the chance to end her curse... To finally live her life without pain or worry... Never having to turn into that _thing_ again. She took another looked at Luz before making a circle with her finger, sending another Hooty-duplicate flying out and knocking Dr. Ray onto his back.

"Sorry, Ray. But that's not happening," She smirked. "That girl put her life on the line in order to try and help someone who needed it. There's no way now or ever that I'd betray her like that." Dr. Ray made a growling sound.

"You've just made a big mistake, Edalyn Clawthorne. A big mistake." He made a circle with his finger, but instead of aiming at Eda, he pointed it to the caravans. A magic missile exploded from his fingertips and collided with the cars, starting a massive purple fire.

"Luz!" Eda called. Luz struggled to keep her balance as the cars began to tip over, as well as keeping away from the purple fire. Deciding to cut her losses, Luz braced herself and jumped off of the train cars just as they fell to the ground. Eda's staff flew over to her at lightning speed, catching her just before she hit the ground.

"Thanks, Eda!" Luz called as the staff soared into the air. "And I'm really sorry, but I broke your wings!"

"It's fine, kid! I stole those from Lilith anyway!" Eda replied. "Now go and save that dragon!" Dr. Ray had gotten back onto his feet, snarling dangerously.

"I will not let you stop us!" He roared, charging at Eda. Before he could take another step, however, his feet became entangled in thick roots, sending him face-first into the dirt. Willow folded her arms and glared at him.

"Nice one, kid." Eda cackled.

Over by Asterphilion, only one witch remained at the ropes: Clauncey. Luz prepared herself for another battle, but when she landed he quickly dropped the ropes and held up his hands in surrender.

"Please don't hurt me. I give up, I swear." he said, backing away from Asterphilion. 

"You're not gonna... fight me or anything?" Luz asked, confused.

"Oh definitely not. Anyone who wears a hat like that is not someone I could take on." He said, pointing to the top hat still adorned on her head. "Mr. Rayden told me that as long as I did what he said, he'd send me to Witch School." He said. He hung his head sadly. "But the he told me I'm too stupid to get into any school." Luz actually felt rather bad for him.

"Tell you what. You leave Asterphilion alone, and I'll put in a good word for you at Hexside. Sound like a deal?" She asked. Clauncey's eyes lit up.

" _Hexside?_ Oh, it's my dream to go there! You have yourself a deal!" He said giddily, skipping away happily. Luz began trying to untie the ropes, but it was clear the magic in them was not making it easy.

"Come back for me? Do you wish to sell me to a higher buyer?" Asterphilion grumbled just through the side of his lip.

"What? No! Dr. Ray lied to me. He lied to all of us," Luz explained. "If I had known what his true intentions were, I would've never brought you here. I'm sorry, Asterphilion." The dragon closed his eyes for a moment.

"I know it isn't your fault. I'm just looking to blame someone. I suppose I was just desperate to believe that I could live freely again. That the Isles had changed after all." 

"Maybe it's true not everyone is worthy of trust. But there are still plenty of good people that _can_ be trusted! Sometimes it feels like everyone is just looking out for themselves, but we have to remember that there's still plenty of good people in the world. Good people who will do anything to help those who need it." Luz said, managing to get the rope off of his muzzle. 

"I suppose you're right, Luz Noceda. I was captured by witches, but now I'm being saved by witches. Not once did I ever think that could happen," he spoke. "Perhaps it's about time these old bones learn to trust again.

"Human, what do you say we finish this battle once and for all?"


	12. Freedom

Taking the staff into her hands, Luz began to draw ice glyphs in the dirt. The sharpened points broke through the magic ropes, freeing Asterphilion. He lowered his head enough for Luz to climb on, then let out an ear-splitting roar. He breathed a stream of fire into the air, which Luz could feel the heat of even from on top of his head. 

"No! NO!" Dr. Ray screamed, unable to free himself from the roots that were now encased around his whole body. "Someone stop them!" But by this point, the rest of the Dragon Hunters had either fled, or been knocked out. The only witches that remained standing were Eda, Amity, Gus, and Willow, who all looked exhausted but victorious. 

"Face it, Rayden." Luz said, straightening her back as she looked down at the snake man. _Oh wow, I feel so cool right now._ "You've lost. You're not going to be able to hurt dragons ever again. And if you try, we'll be there to stop you!" Asterphilion roared in agreement. 

"It is not up to you when I meet my end. That is for fate to decide," Asterphilion lowered his head to look Dr. Ray in the eyes. "You are _nothing_." Asterphilion opened his great jaws and picked Dr. Ray up into his mouth.

"Are you gonna eat him?" Luz asked, horrified. 

" _Are_ you?" Eda asked from below, although she sounded rather excited. Asterphilion grunted something, then flung his great head around. He opened his mouth while doing so, flinging Dr. Ray into the distance until they couldn't see him anymore.

"Repulsive. I would never eat a creature like that," he rumbled. "I have standards." Asterphilion knelt down, allowing Luz to reunite with the witches. 

"Nice work out there, kids," Eda complimented them all, although she was looking at Luz when she spoke. "You know, I'd bet you'd all be a force to reckon with if you stopped going to school and joined us wild witches at the Owl House."

"Don't try to indoctrinate us into becoming criminals." Amity scoffed. 

"And I like school. It's fun sitting in classes with everyone!" said Willow.

"And where else would I run the Human Appreciation Society?" Gus asked. 

"Fine, fine. Conform to society's standards, I won't stop you. But my offer still stands." Eda said as she placed her hands on her hips. 

"If I may interrupt?" Asterphilion boomed from above them. "I want to sincerely thank you all. For defending me, and for trying to save me from myself. I once thought all witches were selfish, cruel, and horrible creatures. But now I see only some are like that."

"Thank... you?" Willow asked, smiling weirdly.

"I never thought it possible that anyone would care about dragons. But I see now that I was wrong. There is still good in people, and that gives me hope for the future of this world." He said.

"Where will you go now?" Luz asked.

"I will return back to the mountains. It is my home, after all," he said. "Though I wish I could be more optimistic, I know it is best if I remain unseen. But I will live my final days in peace thanks to you. I am eternally grateful to you, Luz Noceda. As well as your witch companions."

"Did we ever actually tell him our names?" Gus whispered. Willow shook her head.

"I'm happy we could help," said Luz. "And thank you for not giving up."

"Can we wrap this up? I'm gonna puke from how sweet this all is." Eda said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "We'd better get going, anyway. With all that noise, the Emperor's Coven will be arriving here any minute. And I _really_ don't feel like dealing with them today."

"Yes, of course. May I offer you all a ride back to your home? It's the least I can do." Asterphilion offered. Everyone eagerly accepted the offer. They all climbed back onto the dragon's back (Eda insisted on sitting farther back near the tail), and with a flap of his many wings, they were back into the air.

"I have to be honest, I really didn't think anything good would come out of this." Amity said when they were in the air. The sun was beginning to set, and beautiful streaks of orange, yellow, and pink danced through the horizon. "But I actually kind of had fun."

"See? Ol' Luz knows what she's doing. Quests never fail to bring people together!" Luz boasted.

"Wouldn't say this was a 'quest,'" Willow chimed in. "More like... a really long errand run that ended in a fight."

"Errand runs can bring people together. My Dad and I are never closer then when we shop for groceries." Gus added.

"Oh, speaking of which, here's your hat back, Gus." Luz handed him the top hat, which came very close to blowing away from the force of the winds.

"Thanks!" Gus responded, keeping a very tight grip of his precious item. By the time Asterphilion arrived at the Owl House, the sun was halfway set.

"Farewell, witchlings and human. I wish you nothing but prosperity on your continued path. And Luz? Do make sure to visit sometime." Asterphilion said with a wink before soaring back into the sky and disappearing into the night.

"That really was an eventful day, but I'm gonna go home now," Willow said with a yawn. "My dads are probably worried sick about me."

"Yeah, and my parents will get really mad if I'm not home before the moon is up." Amity said, looking uneasy. 

"Aw, are you sure you guys have to go? What about having a slumber party?" Luz alluded. Willow giggled.

"Sounds fun, but just not tonight. Some other time, definitely. Maybe we could even find that unicorn." She said.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Luz!" Gus said. The three witchlings waved goodbye and walked into the darkened forest. As Luz watched her friends leave, Eda's hand clasped her on the shoulder.

"You know, I'm really proud of you, kid." she said.

"Really? But I got tricked. Again. And almost got my friends killed. Again." Luz said sheepishly. Wow, she really did _not_ have a good track record with this kind of thing.

"True. Anyone whose lived around here would know that snake guy was full of it," Eda said with a raised eyebrow. "But that's because we think like people on the Boiling Isles. _You_ were thinking like yourself. You knew there was potential danger, but you decided the good that could come out of it all outweighed any potential risks. You managed to become friends with a creature even I didn't know still existed. That takes some serious guts, kid. Guess I have a lot to learn from you." She smiled and rustled Luz's hair before entering the Owl House. Luz smiled to herself and followed her mentor inside.

"There you are! What gives, Eda? You just ran off without explanation!" King demanded when they were both inside.

"I'll tell you later, King, it's late and I'm tired." Eda said.

"The sun hasn't even set yet!"

"Shh, tired." Eda waved him off and walked down the hall, presumably to her room. Luz nearly collapsed onto the couch, her body absolutely exhausted after the two days. 

"The next time you and Eda go on some super-fun adventure, I demand to come too!" King called out.

"Of course, buddy. You're welcome to come anytime." Luz said and opened her arms. King seemed to try and ignore her for a moment before relenting and climbing into her lap. Luz gently stroked his back, allowing her eyes to close as the blissful peace and warmth of the house washed over her.

Yes it was true; no matter where you went, there will be people who made bad decisions. People who are rude, who don't give you a second glance, or who only care about themselves. But there will also be so many good people, people who show kindness and compassion to others, and people who will defend you no matter what. And those are the ones who matter most of all. 


End file.
